Tommy Smith (tenor sax/orchestrations) w. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Clark Rundell.
(Review by Lance)
Going back to Paul
Whiteman, then, through the years, to Alec Templeton, John Dankworth,
Gunther Schuller and many others, jazz musicians and composers have tried to
fuse the two idioms – jazz and European classical music. The results have
varied from the abysmal to the near sublime. This, I’m pleased to say, is
closer to the latter category. Smith succeeds where most have failed by making
the saxophone a solo instrument as compatible with a symphony orchestra as a
violin, cello or clarinet and possibly more so
than an oboe or a bassoon.
Vocalise, by Rachmaninoff, opens up and Smith’s subtle variations could well have been written into the score had the Russian composer been born somewhat later and in Scotland!
Vocalise, by Rachmaninoff, opens up and Smith’s subtle variations could well have been written into the score had the Russian composer been born somewhat later and in Scotland!
A
portmanteau of compositions, ostensibly by Chick Corea, entitled, simply Children’s Songs are delivered with
inspirational verve.
The
Stan Getz/Eddie Sauter, Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaborations spring to mind but
this is a Smith/Smith collaboration that loses nothing by comparison. It lays
down a benchmark for arrangers with ‘pretensions’ - pretensions that will be
unlikely to reach this level.
Smith
soars through, above and beyond, yet always with the symphony orchestra sawing
away behind him. He could have been blowing in front of SNJO or a jazz club
trio in Edinburgh, the result would have been the same – tenor perfection.
There
will be few better tenor saxophone records this year.
In
fact there will be few better jazz records this year.
Probably
no better ‘classical’ records this year.
Truth
is, there will be few better records this year.
Lance.
Tommy Smith w. BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Modern Jacobite will be available on August 26 (Spartacus STS022)
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